WEBVTT
MORE COMMITMENT 2016 NE NOW,
IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, SUPPORTERS
OF MEASURE D BELIEVE A $500
MILLION, 30-YEAR SALES TAX WIL
BRING MUCH NEEDED RELIEF TO THE
GRIDLOCK ON HIGHWAY 1.
OTHERS BELIEVE IT'S A TEMPORARY
FIX.
AND IGNORES ALTERNATIVE TRAFFIC
SOLUTIONS.
FOR A BREAKDOWN OF THE PROS AND
CONS, HERE'S ACTION NEWS
REPORTER PHIL GOMEZ.
PHIL: ANYONE DRIVING HIGHWAY 1
DURING THE HEIGHT OF A COMMUTE
KNOWS YOU'RE GOING NOWHERE,
FAST.
BETSY: IT'S MISERABLE.
PHIL: WHY?
BETSY: BECAUSE NO MATTER WHAT
TIME OF DAY YOU GO, IT'S STOP
AND GO.
DAVID: I WOULD RATHER DRIVE
ALONG THE COAST.
VERSUS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 1.
IT'S THAT BAD.
PHIL: TRAFFIC IS
BUMPER-TO-BUMPER.
MOTORISTS USE SIDE STREETS, TO
AVOID IT.
DRIVERS, WHO EXIT THE FREEWAY TO
TAKE SHORT CUTS, NOW FIND THOSE
RESIDENTIAL ROUTES JUST AS
CLOGGED.
GARY: IF I WANT TO TAKE MY
GRANDSON TO GO SWIMMING AT
IMPERIAL COURTS, I HAVE TO TAKE
SURFACE ROADS, OR TRY THAT, BUT
THAT DOESN'T WORK MUCH BETTER.
YOU'RE HOPEFUL, BUT THAT'S NOT
ALWAYS GREAT.
PHIL: MEASURE D IS A 30-YEAR,
HALF-CENT SALES TAX, THAT WOULD
RAISE AN ESTIMATED $500 MILLION.
THE MONEY WOULD BE DIVIDED UP
LIKE THIS.
30% TO NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECTS,
SUCH AS ROAD REPAIRS AND SAFER
ROUTES FOR CHILDREN.
20% FOR TRANSIT FOR SENIORS AND
DISABLED PEOPLE.
17% TO THE COASTAL RAIL TRAIL.
8% FOR RAILROAD MAINTENANCE AND
ANALYSIS OF RAIL, AS A TRANSIT
OPTION.
AND 25% TO HIGHWAY 1
IMPROVEMENTS.
BOB: YEAH, WE'RE STANDING AT THE
ARANA GULCH PEDESTRIAN BIKE
TRAIL.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL TRAIL.
THIS IS THE KIND OF PROJECT THAT
WOULD BENEFIT FROM THAT $125
MILLION, WHICH IS GOING TO BE
PUT INTO THE HIGHWAY.
PHIL: BOB MORGAN IS A MEMBER OF
THE CAMPAIGN FOR SENSIBLE
TRANSPORTATION, WHICH OPPOSES
MEASURE
THEY BELIEVE WIDENING HIGHWAY 1,
WITH THREE AUXILIARY LANES,
ENCOURAGES MORE TRAFFIC, CREATES
MORE GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS, AND
TAKES TO FOCUS AWAY FROM
ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION
SOLUTIONS.
BOB: THESE ARE THE KINDS OF
THINGS THAT PEOPLE WOULD USE
THAT WILL BRING PEOPLE OFF THE
HIGHWAY, WHICH WILL GET THEM
INTO THE COMMUNITY, AND WHICH
WILL BE A VIABLE WAY TO GET UP
AND DOWN THE COMMUNITY.
THE RAIL CORRIDOR WILL ALSO BE A
VIABLE WAY TO TRANSPORT PEOPLE.
IT'S CALLED THE RAIL TRAIL.
WE DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S GOING
TO END UP, BUT WE NEED TO
UTILIZE IT.
WE NEED TO GET PEOPLE AWAY FROM
THE HIGHWAY.
>> I START AN HOUR EARLY.
PHIL: GRANITEROCK CONCRETE
BUILDS RUNWAYS, DRIVEWAYS, AND,
YES, HIGHWAYS.
WHEN TRUCKS ARE DELAYED IN
TRAFFIC, THE CONCRETE CAN
HARDEN.
TO GET AROUND THAT, DRIVERS ARE
CALLED IN EARLY, TO AVOID THE
COMMUTE HOURS.
JOE: I'D SAY AT LEAST TWO HOURS.
TWO HOURS EARLIER IN THE
MORNING, TO GET THAT WINDOW OF
PRODUCTION ON A JOB SITE, VERSUS
SITTING IN TRAFFIC.
IT ACTUALLY COSTS US MORE.
BECAUSE IF WE GOT GUYS SITTING
IN TRAFFIC WITH AN EMPTY TRUCK,
THEY'RE NOT BEING PRODUCTIVE.
SO, IF THAT WASN'T THE CASE, IF
THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC, THEN WE'D
BE MORE PRODUCTIVE.
PHIL: THE REGIONAL
TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION CHAIR,
DON LANE, SAYS STATE FUNDS AND
GAS TAX REVENUES HAVE DWINDLED,
WHILE INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEMS
HAVE INCREASED.
DON: THE STATE AND FEDERAL HAVE
KIND OF CUT US OFF AT THE KNEES,
IN TERMS OF TRANSPORTATION
FUNDING.
SO, WE DECIDED WE NEEDED TO TAKE
MATTERS INTO OUR HANDS.
SO, WE WENT TO EVERY CORNER OF
THE COUNTY.
AND WE LOOKED AT EVERY MODE OF
TRANSPORTATION, AND SAID WHAT DO
WE NEED?
AND WE PUT TOGETHER A PACKAG
THAT WOU MEET A WIDE RANGE OF
NEEDS, FROM PEOPLE MOVE ON THE
HIGHWAY, TO PEOPLE WHO RIDE
THEIR BIKES.
BOB: I JUST HOPE THAT PEOPLE
READ AS MUCH AS THEY CAN,
REGARDING MEASURE D.
BE INFORMED, KNOW THAT WE DON'T
HAVE TO BE WEDDED TO WIDENING
THE HIGHWAY TO PASS THE MEASURE.
WE BELIEVE A BETTER MEASURE CAN
COME IN 2-4 YEARS.
WE THINK SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CAN
DO BETTER.
AND WE DESERVE TO DO BETTER.
BECAUSE WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL
ENVIRONMENT, WHICH WE DON'T WANT
TO DEGRADE AND SPOIL WITH MORE
PAVEMENT FOR ETERNITY.
PHIL: WHILE PROPONENTS OF
MEASURE D SAY IT IS A BALANCED
PACKAGE TO IMPROVE, OPERATE, AND
MAINTAIN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY'S
TRANSPORTATION NETWORK,
OPPONENTS BELIEVE MEASURE D IS
SHORT-SIGHTED.
IT'S A WASTE OF TAXPAYER DOLLARS
, BY ADDING AUXILARY LANES,
INSTEAD OF PLANNING FOR AN
ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION
FUTURE.
MEASURE D NEEDS TWO-THIRDS VOTER
APPROVAL TO PASS.
IN SANTA CRUZ, PHIL GOMEZ, KSBW